Page 28 - March-2015-Life-in-Naples-Magazine

Solutions for America
require leadership, economic liberty and teamwork
by Congressman Curt Clawson
A merica is a nation where solutions rest not in big government,
but in personal liberties, free enterprise, and the opportunity
for all to pursue their own American Dream; regardless of race,
creed, or conditions of birth.
We should not burden the American economy with higher taxes or
more unnecessary regulations on the private sector.These approaches are
just plain wrong. Just as unsustainable entitlement programs, more debt,
and more unfunded mandates are wrong.
As a culture, we have to get past the idea that Washington can solve
all of our problems. We can only restore our nation to greatness by
empowering the private sector and individual achievement.
Government programs should not be based on wealth redistribution,
but on economic liberty and wealth creation that benefits everyone.
Protecting our freedoms in Washington also demands protecting all
that makes life in Southwest Florida so special. We must preserve our
water resources and precious eco-system, including the Everglades and
the Caloosahatchee River.
These things are made difficult whenever our elected officials get
bogged down in partisan bickering. As some focus on trying to score
political points, they lose sight of what they are charged to do as
representatives of “We the People.”
Of course we all don’t always see things the same way. But we can and
must respect and listen to each other. And when we disagree, we’ve got to
do this without insulting each other.
The divisiveness in Washington rests largely in the fact that too
many government decisions are influenced by lobbyists and special
interest groups, as they line their pockets at the expense of hard-working As one way to cut spending, I’ll promote the adoption of a viable
Americans – drowning out the voices of average citizens and enabling
crony capitalism.
We need to get the lobbyists out and restore the voice of “We the
People.” Then we need to unite behind the founding principles of our
great nation.
Today our economy continues sluggish growth, with millions of
Americans still out of work. America’s labor-force participation rate is
at its lowest level since the late 1970s. According to the Bureau of Labor
and Statistics, 17.8 million people are unemployed or underemployed in
the United States today.
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“The U.S. has lost respect
in the world, and we are
failing in our destiny to
lead the world toward
democracy, liberty, and
”freedom from oppression.
The growth gap between President Obama’s economic policies
and those of Ronald Reagan is now $2.4 trillion in lost GDP and
14.4 million in lost jobs. More than 500,000 jobs a month would
be created if the economy were growing as it did under Reagan.
Instead, we have a growth rate that creates approximately half of
that number.
As described in my Economic Plan, we should target growing
the economy by 5 percent annually. This would help businesses
create millions of good-paying American jobs, while freeing
millions from government dependency. I’ll be working with like-
minded members in the 114th Congress to incorporate ideas from
my plan – and to enable American companies to compete fairly in
the global marketplace.
We should begin by cutting in half America’s small business and
corporate tax rates, currently the highest in the developed world, to
17.5 percent – and taking out the loopholes!
To enable economic growth, the government must live within
its means, just like we do in our business and personal lives. We
must make the tough choices now, and stop kicking the can down
the road. We’ve got to reform existing entitlements, secure them
for future generations, and stop massive new entitlement programs.
version of Connie Mack’s Penny Plan.
Life in Naples | March 2015